At the time of Gustave's birth his father, an ex-soldier, was working as an administrator for the

French Army; but shortly after his birth, his mother expanded a charcoal business, and soon
afterwards his father gave up his job to assist her. Due to his mother's business commitments,
Gustave spent his childhood living with his grandmother, but nevertheless remained close to his
mother, who was to remain an influential figure until her death in 1878. The business was successful
enough for Catherine Eiffel to sell it in 1843 and retire on the proceeds.[7] Eiffel was not a studious
child, and thought his classes at the Lyce Royal in Dijon boring and a waste of time, although in his
last two years, influenced by his teachers for history and literature, he began to study seriously, and
he gained his baccalaurats in humanities and science.[8] An important part in his education was
played by his uncle, Jean-Baptiste Mollerat, who had invented a process for distilling vinegar and had
a large chemical works near Dijon, and one of his uncle's friends, the chemist Michel Perret. Both
men spent a lot of time with the young Eiffel, teaching him about everything from chemistry and
mining to theology and philosophy.After
graduation, Eiffel had hoped to find
work in his uncle's workshop in Dijon, but a family dispute made this
impossible. After a few months working as an unpaid assistant to
his brother-in-law, who managed a foundry, Eiffel approached the
railway engineer Charles Nepveu, who gave Eiffel his first paid job
as his private secretary.[11] However, shortly afterwards Nepveu's
company went bankrupt, but Nepveu found Eiffel a job designing a
22 m (72 ft) sheet iron bridge for the Saint Germaine railway. Some
of Nepveu's businesses were then acquired by the Compagnie
Belge de Matriels de Chemin de Fer: Nepveu was appointed the
managing director of the two factories in Paris, and offered Eiffel a
job as head of the research department. In 1857 Nepveu negotiated
a contract to build a railway bridge over the
river Garonne at Bordeaux, connecting the Paris-Bordeaux line to
the lines running to SAfter graduation, Eiffel had hoped to find work
in his uncle's workshop in Dijon, but a family dispute made this
impossible. After a few months working as an unpaid assistant to
his brother-in-law, who managed a foundry, Eiffel approached the
railway engineer Charles Nepveu, who gave Eiffel his first paid job
as his private secretary.[11] However, shortly afterwards Nepveu's
company went bankrupt, but Nepveu found Eiffel a job designing a
22 m (72 ft) sheet iron bridge for the Saint Germaine railway. Some
of Nepveu's businesses were then acquired by the Compagnie
Belge de Matriels de Chemin de Fer: Nepveu was appointed the
managing director of the two factories in Paris, and offered Eiffel a
job as head of the research department. In 1857 Nepveu negotiated
a contract to build a railway bridge over the
river Garonne at Bordeaux, connecting the Paris-Bordeaux line to
the lines running to S